Distinctive physical education teachers : personal qualities, perceptions of teacher education and the realities of teaching

This investigation described the: (a) personal qualities, (b) teaching realities, and (c) perceptions of teacher education of distinctive physical education teachers. A distinctive teacher was defined as one who stands out from the majority of colleagues with respect to: (a) sincere interest and enthusiasm in teaching, (b) genuine concern for pupils, and (c) self-study and continued striving to improve as a teacher. Subjects studied were six selected teachers of required physical education in public junior high and middle schools in the greater Boston area of Massachusetts. Subjects were in at least their fifth year of teaching. Teacher educators, who participated in a workshop to formulate and clarify indicators of teacher distinctiveness, identified the subjects. A pilot study was conducted to improve the research procedures